


Going through the motions

by cerisemoon



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crowe deserved better, F/F, Fix-It, altium, bad summary rip, biker gfs, cindy is very gay, get ready for curses, gonna give the gays everything they want, i know crowe knows medicinal magic but for the purposes of this let's say she's too tired, implied nyx/noct/prompto, quality ship name thank u humanivers, uhh we dunno much about where crowe's from so im basing it off romania
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-11-18 03:30:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11282880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerisemoon/pseuds/cerisemoon
Summary: au where crowe plays dead and books it to hammerhead after luche leaves. cindy tends to her. gay happens.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> me : uhhhhhhh can i get a fuckin wlw content?  
> ffxv : women machine broke we got boys tho
> 
> mmmm there's a lot of dialogue but its okay  
> partial fic inspo : http://catch-the-ghost.tumblr.com/post/162131820896/i-saw-this-post-by-hyperstorms-so-i-blame-them

For a while, it was black.

Then, she could hear the crunching of gravel, and roar of an engine. She could hear her blood pounding in her eyes.

Something smacked into her stomach - hard - and it was all she could do not to scream. The taste of copper was on her tongue, and her eyes couldn't have been shut tighter if they'd been glued. Pain coursed through her body, and she could feel a liquid (her own blood, she'd realise soon) seeping through her jacket, cold and sticky. Above her, someone chuckled, and the engine picked up. It faded away after a short while, and she let out the breath she'd been holding.

She took in a few more, chest heaving, and realised she was hyperventilating. And it hurt. Gods did it hurt.

_Come on, Crowe. Can't go into shock now._

Her body stilled as she tried to steady her pained breathing. She wasn't sure how long she'd sat there, but when she was certain she was safe, she opened her eyes to the beginning of the sunset. Damn, she'd wasted too much time. She sat up, hissing as her torso moved. Pulling her arm towards it, she felt around, pressing at her ribs. At least one of them was bruised, she was certain.

"That fucking bastard." She cursed under her breath, and cursed again when a pang of pain flooded her chest, and turned her attention to the source of the bleeding, above the broken rib. It hurt like all hell, and was bleeding too fast for her liking. She somehow managed to remove her jacket, cursing at every jolt of pain, and tied it around her torso as tightly as she could. 

Her bike lay a few feet away, and in the dwindling light it didn't seem damaged. She dragged herself over to it, and pulled it upright, leaning heavily against it. She knew she couldn't stay where she was; Leide may be right by Insomnia, but the daemons were still prevalent at night, even this close to the city. There were havens around, she could see the blue smoke rising in the distance, but she wasn't certain she'd make it through the night if the hollowpoint Luche fired stayed inside her. Luche. Crowe was going to murder that _măgar_  if she made it back to Insomnia. When, she corrected.  **When** she made it back. The when of course, would depend on how soon she got help. But then, what of the mission to Tenebrae?

Her head swum, and a sense of nausea filled her. She gagged, and swallowed what came up, grimacing at the taste. No use throwing up what little she'd eaten that morning, she needed her strength. There was an outpost near Ostium Gorge (Gods, what would Libertus think when he found out what had happened to her?), a garage if she remembered right. They'd be able to help. They  _had_ to, she wouldn't make it anywhere else. 

Her body was heavy, and it ached every time she moved, but she somehow managed to heft herself up onto the bike's seat. The keys were still in, she found, so she pressed the ignition. For a second, nothing happened, and she nearly panicked, but the engine roared to life, and she exhaled, heavy with relief. The hollowpoint was just above her ribs, and she knew she had a limited amount of time. Half an hour wasted, she had no time to waste trying to fix a bike.

Leaning forward, she rested the bulk of her weight on the front, and pushed the bike back onto the road. Keeping a weather eye on the slowly setting sun, she pushed her mussed-up hair out of her face, and headed in what she hoped was the direction of the garage.

 

* * *

 

 

Cindy yawned, and stretched her arms above her head as she watched the sun retreat. It had been a busy day, and Cid was grumpier than usual, what with the news of the treaty conditions reaching the rest of Lucis. People had been driving into the city, hoping to find out more, or watch the ceremony for themselves. Honestly? She was glad to see the war end, but couldn't help but worry what would become of Lucis when the Niffs came in. A few people lingered- Hammerhead was never truly deserted- but it was quiet. It was getting darker now, there wouldn't be many more people pulling in. Wouldn't be safe for them to drive for much longer. 

She pulled on the garage door, and it creaked shut. The hunter at the weapons stall bade her a goodnight as he packed up, and she returned the call with a passing wave. A chill shook her shoulders, and she zipped up her jacket, heading into Takka's. Just as she set foot inside however, she heard the rumble of an engine pull into Hammerhead behind her, and she turned to look. 

It was crown-city made bike, she could tell instantly, but it looked a little worse for wear, scraped and muddy along the sides. The rider was hunched over the front of the bike, barely holding themself up. Her brow furrowed, and she moved to call them when the bike toppled over, pulling the rider with it. 

"Hey!" She bolted over, and pulled the bike away, and finally she could see the rider clearly. It was a woman, her age maybe older, with terribly messy chocolate brown hair, who seemed far paler than she ought to. The brunette groaned loudly, clutching her torso, and Cindy thought she could see blood seeping through the jacket hastily tied around the woman. Had she been attacked? "Paw Paw!" She called, trying to lift the woman. She must've sounded quite panicked, because Cid came running (as well as an old man can) out from their home beside the garage.

The woman in her arms began to stir, groaning loudly. "Cindy? What's goin' on?" Asked Cid, as he approached. Cindy lifted the brunette as gently as she could, and Cid's face fell. He helped lift the woman, taking some of the weight off of Cindy, and cursed when the woman cried out. Together, they maneuvered the injured woman into their small living area, resting her on the couch.

It wasn't the first hunter to come in with an injury, but rarely was it one like this, or one who didn't have at least a small potion with them. "Get that jacket off 'er, gonna need to see the wound." Ordered Cid, as he headed into the kitchen to fetch their emergency med-kit. The blonde nodded, carefully undoing the poor knot, and wincing when the woman hissed. Her eyes opened, and they were a curious shade of brown, seeming amber in one way, and chestnut in another. She locked eyes with Cindy, and the blonde smiled, hoping to reassure the woman. She moaned, mumbling under her breath as Cindy eased the jacket away from her.

She winced upon seeing the mess of blood and dirt that marred the green top underneath. "Shoot," She clucked her tongue, and the woman scoffed, as though amused. "You just hold on now, ya hear me?" Bunching the shirt up beneath her chest, she gasped sharply. The wound itself appeared small, but the area around it was grotesque. The skin was graying, and black vein-like lines extended outwards from it. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before.

"What in the..." Cid entered before she could finish her thought, carrying their med-kit, and tutted loudly upon seeing the wound exposed. He knelt by the couch, med-kit next to the patient. He was silent for a few seconds, studying the wound and possible infection, before cursing. Cindy started, and looked away from the woman. "What is it?"

"Looks like a hollowpoint." He grumbled, yanking some gauze out of the box. "Special kinda bullet, ya won't find it out here. Insomnia, though, for sure. Nasty little things, they are. Puts the victim through hell." His voice was full of disdain, and he rolled his shoulder back. "First things first, if we don't stop the bleeding, there ain't gonna be nothin' we can do." He unraveled the gauze, and pressed it against the wound, earning a sharp hiss from the woman. "Hold this here, an' tight." He commanded, leaving the room.

Cindy did so, quietly apologising when she groaned, back arching. Her eyes opened again, and again Cindy found herself admiring them. Even though she was in such a state, those eyes were a blazing fire, determined and full of life. 

"You with us, darlin'?" She asked, in a hushed voice as the brunette let her eyes adjust.

"Mm...mhm." A smile graced her face, and she felt relief sink in.

"Can you tell me your name?" Cindy knew to keep her talking, blood loss was always serious. In her peripheral, she saw Cid re-enter the room, but she kept her eyes fixed on the woman beneath her.

"...Crowe. Altius." Crowe's voice was hoarse, but there was something...nice about it. Cindy thought she'd like to hear more of it when it wasn't full of pain.

"Well, isn't that a purdy name. Mine's Cindy." She pulled her hands back to check the bleeding every so often, folding over gauze when it seeped through too much. "Y'able to tell me what happened?"

A shadow of rage fell upon Crowe's face, jilted and angry. "Got shot. Kicked...it hurts to breathe."

"Did'ya know 'em?" Cindy asked, hesitantly. She needed Crowe to stay awake, but was reluctant to ask about a potentially sensitive subject. Crowe nodded, her voice like a growl.

"Yeah." She muttered something else, that Cindy couldn't understand, another language maybe. Crowe certainly didn't look Lucian, in any light. "Or...thought so."

Cid moved her hands aside, and seemed to be satisfied enough that the bleeding had slowed, because he pulled out something that looked like a small pair of pliers. "Y'ever had a bullet pulled outta ya before?" Crowe nodded.

"Couple...times. Niffs got...lucky." He huffed at that, a small grin gracing his surly face. "Smarts though."

"Want a drink?"

"Want this...damn hollowpoint out." Nodding, Cid began to work. Crowe cried out immediately, and grabbed Cindy's hand in a death grip. Using her free hand, she gently stroked Crowe's hair, hoping to soothe her.

"She got a phone anywhere? See if ya can call someone who knows her." Cindy nodded, petting Crowe's head once more, and tugging back the jacket she'd discarded. Inside was a phone; It was cracked, but still lit up when she tapped the screen. Immediately, there was a fingerprint scanner, and she wondered who'd need such security on their phone. Gently, she placed it under the brunette's hand, and unlocked it. After some fiddling around, and a light squeeze of Crowe's hand when something Cid did hurt her too much, she found the contacts list.

"Crowe, sweetie?" She nodded weakly, groaning. "Who'd you want me to call?" There were only a few names, maybe five. For a moment, Cindy wondered if Crowe had fallen unconscious, she was so quiet.

"...Nyx." Came her response, quiet and delayed. She tried to say something else, but cried out suddenly, and pulled at Cindy's hand.

"You hush, it's almost out." Cid huffed, as Cindy pressed call on the man's number. It rang for a while, a long while, and she was about to try someone else before the call picked up.

 _"Crowe? Aren't you supposed to be on assignment? What, you miss my voice or something?"_ The man sounded confused, but had a friendly tone, and Cindy grimaced, not at all wanting to be the bearer of bad news.

"Hi, Nyx, is it? My na-"

 _"Who is this and why do you have Crowe's phone?"_ The kind tone was gone, quiet anger and a sense of threat replacing it. Crowe tapped her arm against Cindy's and she frowned, confused. Crowe's hand hit her ear, and she pulled away the phone, trying to hit the loudspeaker. Cindy nodded, lowering Crowe's hand in hers and doing it for her.

"Your friend Crowe's been hurt- awful bad too, we're lookin' after her." He didn't speak for a while, but she could hear fabric shifting in the background.

_"What happened? Where is she?"_

"Well, we're not too sure just yet, but she pulled into the outpost a while ago, barely conscious. Somebody put a bullet in her, Paw Paw called it a hollowpoint, an' I'm fairly certain one of her ribs is bruised. We're at the Hammerhead garage, in Leide?" Crowe cried out once again, a mangled scream and she flinched. Her thumb brushed the back of Crowe's hand as she spoke. Cid sat back for a moment, dropping the bloodied hollowpoint into a bowl on the table, before pressing another wad of gauze against the wound.

_"Was that her? Is she-"_

"She's fine, Paw Paw just pulled the lil bugger out. We'll be closing up the wound as soon as possible." She paused a moment, looking down at Crowe's face, and brushing some hair away from her eyes. "Would you be able to make it out here?" 

_"No. Gods, I wish I could, but all of us have gotta stay in Insomnia for the treaty signing."_

Crowe cussed, and Cindy joined her. "Shoot. Well, she can stay here until she's healed up, but it'll be a longer stay if we don't get her to a proper hospital, an' I'm not sure I can be away from shop long enough to bring her to Lestallum, or Insomnia." Nyx sighed, agitated.

 _"I'll call the captain and see if I can make it out there."_ Crowe's head shot up, startling her and Cid, who swore under his breath, nearly dropping the tube of cream in his hand.

"No!"

_"Crowe?"_

"Don't...call him. Can't trust the Glaive." Cid's head snapped up, a look passing on his face that Cindy couldn't quite make out.

 _"Wh...You sure?"_ Crowe nodded, seemingly having expended her energy, and Cindy responded for her.

 _"Shit. Libertus is on leave, he might be able to make it out there-"_ Crowe shook her head again, mumbling incoherently. She flinched every time Cid dug the needle too far, and he tutted every time. The stitches were neat enough, though. 

"That'd be a negative." Cindy could tell how aggravated the man was, and pity welled up within her.

 _"So- What, I just don't say anything to anyone? You're not giving me a lot to work with Crowe, fuck I-"_ There was a loud groan, then a dull thud and more shifting. A deep sigh.  _"You talk to the Scientia kid, the advisor right? Word is he's taking the Prince on his Royal Arms Trials tomorrow. They'll be going through Leide, they can meet you there-"_

Crowe's face twisted, and Cindy couldn't tell if she was happy or frustrated with the amount of concern in Nyx's voice. " _Bine, bine, acum lasă-mă să dorm."_

_"Crowe, fi atent."_

" _Pa,_ Nyx." Cindy's eyes flitted between the phone and Crowe, before realising they were done, and putting the phone back against her ear.

 _"Take care of her. Please."_ She smiled, softly, resting her hand on Crowe's head again, their hands still entwined.

"Will do. I promise I'll make sure she gets back to y'all safe and sound."

 _"Thank you."_ With a heavy sigh, the line went dead, and Cindy placed the phone down onto the table. Cid was gone, in the kitchen she assumed. Looking down at Crowe, she saw Cid had taped the gauze, rather than binding it. Safer for the ribs, if they're bruised, and she hoped it'd be enough for the gun wound. Her legs tingled, and she shifted, wriggling in her seat. 

"I'm gonna have to lift you a lil', so I can get up, that alright?" Crowe nodded, lifting herself up as best she could, and Cindy slipped out from underneath the brunette, before extending her hand to Crowe. She took it, smiling weakly, and Cindy helped her stand. "Now then, let's get you somewhere comfier." Slinging one arm about Crowe's waist, Cindy made her way towards her small bedroom.

It wasn't much, the building itself wasn't really...large, but it was big enough for her and Cid. The walls were metal, (both a blessing and a curse, weather depending. Hot days inside were a nightmare, but so were cold nights.) but painted a dull white colour, and stuck to them were many posters and photographs of locations all over Lucis, even a few abroad. Postcards from Holly in Lestallum, photos she'd taken from the group's visit to Altissia (her, Takka and Paw Paw), and posters of places like Tenebrae, and other territories the Niffs had overrun. Magazine cutouts of machines and vehicles all dotted the walls too. (The amount of magnets it took to keep her walls covered was far more than she'd ever admit, but they made her happy enough, so Cid never said anything against them.) There was a multitude of rugs on the floor too, many having corners turned up where a sleep deprived Cindy had tripped over them. The bed was a simple wood frame, her duvet a pale blue, orange waves lapping at the bottom of it, and curtains made of a similar pattern. Against one wall stood a wooden desk, surface cluttered and drawers overflowing, with a lamp that she'd forgotten to turn off. She'd shoved her heater under it sometime that morning. It was a messy, enclosed space, but it was hers. 

Crowe managed to maneuver herself onto the bed as Cindy dragged the heater from under her desk, flipping over another rug. Sighing, she kicked it over again, and placed the heater by the bed, kneeling by it. "So this knob here's the one you're gonna twiddle if you're feelin' too hot, or the other way around." Crowe nodded, and let Cindy help her remove her boots. "Can't be comfy sleeping with those on. Now I'll just be in the other room, so you holler if you need me at all, otherwise I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

"Thanks, Cindy." Crowe's voice seemed to come easier, and she was glad for it. The brunette's eyelids were falling though, and she smiled. "Get some rest now, ya hear me? I'll bring 'round some food when you're up." She rocked back on her heels and stood, rolling her shoulders back. "G'night!" Crowe offered her a wave as she left the room, and she grinned. The door was left open just enough that she'd need not fumble with the handle if Crowe called her in.

She dropped rather unceremoniously onto the couch, and it groaned at her weight. She yanked her cap off, carding her fingers through her hair and frowning when she snagged a knot. Cid came through the front door, shutting it loud enough to make her flinch. "Thought you were in the kitchen." She muttered, hoisting her legs onto the couch and kicking off her boots.

"Puttin' away the girl's bike. All scratched up too, an' the darn thing weighed about a ton." He grumbled, tugging at his boots. "I'll take a look in the morning, see what I can do."

"I can do that-" Cid cut her off, waving a hand at her.

"You just focus on looking after that girl. You brought 'er in, she's your responsibility." And before Cindy could say anything else, he strode into his bedroom, ending the conversation. She smiled, and settled herself in for the night. 

_Let's just see where tomorrow takes us._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Crowe's got nothing to do but wait until her injury heals, she spends some time with Cindy, and sees some familiar faces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i legit fuckin sobbed @ the comments on this y'all are so nice holy shit??? 
> 
> ive been dissociating all day but i finally got this done yay!
> 
> edited some things in ch1 to make this fit better, minor details tho that's it

In the end, Crowe didn't end up calling Cindy; She slept all through the night, and through most of the morning, apparently, because it was the midday sun that woke her up. Assuming the clock on the desk opposite her was right of course. A desk- No, that wasn't right, Crowe's room didn't have a desk, and the mattress she was laying on was much stiffer than hers. She'd gone all out after saving for a while, and her and Pelna had gone out and bought the softest, most comfortable mattress they could find. He frequently stumbled into her apartment after his night shifts, despite living only a few minutes away, and so she'd brought him along so there'd be no complaints when he flopped on top of her at 2 am. 

She shot up, pain coursed through her torso, and she lay back down again. Blinked a couple times, and shook her head. Pulling back the pale blue covers - hers were an earthy green, another sign this wasn't her room - she saw a lump under her shirt (dirty now, what a shame) and pulled it up, looking at the gauze taped to her side, where it hurt most. Why did it hurt again? She sighed, resting her head against the backboard of the bed, and let her thoughts drift to the last days events.

Nyx, Luche and Tredd had fought in the briefing room, after the official announcements of the Niflheim-Lucis Treaty. Drautos had called her in, given her an order straight from the King, " _Covertly meet with Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae, and escort her to Accordo, where the royal wedding is to be held."_ She'd had barely any time to prepare, a fact that frustrated both her and the Captain, but the treaty hadn't been expected, and there simply wasn't time to plan. The King believed that Lady Lunafreya was in some sort of imminent danger, and trusted Crowe to look after her. It had made Crowe smile a little, knowing the King thought that highly of her. She might not like the man as much as Nyx, but she certainly didn't feel the way Libertus did, and she appreciated what he'd done for her and the other Glaives, even though they might not.

Right. She'd gotten her orders, spent the day doing some rushed preparations and Nyx and Libertus had seen her off. Pelna had been busy, which sucked. The driver had dropped her off, and she'd spotted a suspicious van. Her memory began to waver a little here, and she frowned. She remembered Luche's smug, horrid sneer, the one he always wore when he won a bet, or game of warp tag, the one she'd always thought was disgusting. She remembered hurting- a lot, and she cursed under her breath. Blackness, then a voice calling out to her. It was a woman's voice; sweet, calming, and it filled Crowe's mind. A flash of gold and green, green eyes, like gems staring at her. Tinted with concern, for her. They made her feel...safe, in a way. 

Crowe sat up again, slowly this time, and rolled her shoulders back, stretching as best she could. She idly gazed around the room, looking at all the posters, and recognized some of them. In the background, she could hear cars, close by, and people talking. Another glance at the clock and she swung her legs out of the bed. It wasn't like she could go anywhere far injured like this, but she didn't like sitting still. Made her feel restless. She didn't find much difficulty in walking, but breathing was rather painful. There was a door in the corner of the room, and she opened it. It led into a bathroom, and she breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing a mirror. Stepping forward, she pushed her hair out of her face to better survey her condition. 

Her tanned skin was paler than normal, and she grimaced. Dark brown hair was knotted and messy, but somehow her hairband was still in, and she fumbled with it, trying to pull it out. It yanked on knots, and a small clump of hair was twisted around it when she finally removed it. Down, her hair looked worse, she thought, but it wasn't catching on itself as much anymore. She pulled up her shirt once more, and gently prodded her rib cage until she found her mark. Bruised, not broken, she noted graciously, and the gauze held firm, a faint smudge of red on it. The bullet can't have pierced anything serious then, else she'd be coughing up her blood- That's right! Luche'd shot her. Prick. Her bare shoulders sagged, and she lamented the loss of her jacket. Nyx had picked it out for her name day two years ago, and it was probably her favourite. Ruined now, stained with mud and blood and sporting a messy hole. Her shirt too, was a mess, and she'd seen the state of her boots, by the bed. Everything about this whole damn situation was a mess. Her hand instinctively went to run through her hair, but it snagged almost right away and she sighed again.

She used the sink beneath the mirror to wash the grime off her face, and headed back into the bedroom. Her phone lay beside her boots, not dead yet, but close.

A few texts from Nyx, some in english and some not, all worried. She rolled her eyes, but smiled, and went to answer them.

 

**Hero 20:32 - you'd better be okay.**

**Hero 20:32 - if you're not well enough after the treaty's signed, me and lib are gonna come get you.**

**Hero 20:34 - nu te las acolo atunci când nifii preiau.**

**Hero 20:45 - la naiba, crowe. doar...rămâi în siguranță.**

**Hero 21:23 - i know you hate hearing it from lib but you're like a sister to me too.**

**Hero 21:26 - keep me updated**

 

**Cioară 11:46 - im alive**

**Cioară 11:46 - bruised rib, bullet wound. probs wont make it for treaty. you stay there and do your job, nyx.**

**Cioară 11:47 - you've got a duty as a glaive.**

**Cioară 11:47 - don't trust the glaive. luche is a traitor.**

 

A door slammed open, and Crowe nearly dropped her phone. It took that opportunity to die, and she groaned. Putting it down, she pulled the bed cover back up, in an attempt to neaten it, and left her phone there. Treading towards the door, she poked her head out. An old man was shuffling around in a small kitchen area. The door must've creaked, because he turned to face her right away.

"You're up, then." His voice was gruff, but it didn't sound rude, and she vaguely recognised it from the night before. 

"Uh, yeah." She opened the door fully, and stepped out, eyes roaming the living space before her. "Thanks. For last night." The man grunted, and she assumed that meant his acknowledgement. His gaze was fixed on her, and she shifted uncomfortably under his watch.

"Yer shirt's filthy. Jeans too. Go borrow something'a Cindy's, it'll probably fit."

"Would that be alright?" Was Cindy the blonde woman from last night? A lovely name for a lovely lady, she thought absently. The man grunted again, head lolling forwards, and he began working again. Shrugging, she retreated back into the room.

There was a dresser by the foot of the bed, and she went through the drawers until she found what she needed. It didn't feel right, really, to go through the woman's things, but the old man _had_ been right, she was covered in filth. Looking into the drawer holding shirts, she was a little astounded by Cindy's confidence, a lot of those were rather...small. Not Crowe's style, though she wasn't picky. She found a t-shirt, towards the bottom, a faded yellow, and carefully pulled it out. Pulling off her own shirt, she was reminded she'd slept wearing her bra, probably another reason her chest ached. She groaned, and pulled on Cindy's shirt, folding hers and placing it beside her blank phone. Her jeans stuck as she shucked them, and she grimaced. A light pair of knee shorts caught her eye and she took those. 

The clothes had an odd scent, oil, but also a hint of something else. Vanilla maybe? Pelna's room always smelt of the stuff, so it was easy to recognise, and she found the smell comforting. A myriad of caps sat atop the dresser, and she pulled one onto her head, shoving her hair up into it. She wasn't about to take the woman's shoes too, so she yanked on her muddied boots and headed out.

When she emerged, the man was gone, and not wanting to linger in a home that wasn't hers, she stepped outside, into the sun. Her eyes shut immediately, and she had to squint for a long while before her eyes adjusted to the bright sunlight. She seemed to be to the side of a garage-type building, and followed the sounds of people onto the road. There was a small van selling weapons in front of what was indeed a garage. She took a quick glance into it, some fancy looking car inside, and found her bike propped up in a corner. It didn't look  _too_ scratched up, thankfully. It was hers, not one of the Glaive rentals, and she'd put a lot of work into it. Sentimental value too, she'd taken her girlfriends from Insomnia out on it, and they'd always loved it. Not that she'd had one in a few years; what with Niflheim closing in on Lucis she'd not really had the time. Shame really. Not that she didn't enjoy it when the boys stayed over, or when Pelna fell into bed beside her, but...they weren't girls. She couldn't get off with them.

Taking a further walk, she saw two buildings, a diner and a shop, with gas pumps in front of it. A loud, excited voice came from inside the shop, and if she'd paid it any mind, she would have recognised it, but instead, she headed towards the diner, _T_ _akka's_ , hoping to find Cindy. There were a few people in the booths, and a bald man in an apron (presumably Takka) was stood at the counter, scribbling away at a piece of paper.

"Hey, excuse me?" She greeted him, and internally winced when her voice came out too harsh. The man jumped up, startled, and she waved her hands in apology. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, uh, it's fine. What can I do for you?" Crowe saw his eyes wander to her clothes, and his face heated up. She wasn't sure she wanted to know what he thought.

"I was hoping to find Cindy." It sounded more like a question than she meant it to, and she readjusted the hat on her head. "Don't quite know my way around the outpost. Hammerhead, right?" Takka (was that Takka? She had no idea. Probably.) nodded, eyes widening with realisation, of something, she didn't know what.

"Yup. Cindy's probably in the garage, workin' on that fancy car that pulled up a while back. Real nice, too." Crowe moved to thank him when he spoke again. "She does this kinda thing a lot, leavin' a girl to work, don't worry 'bout it too much." 

There was a beat of silence.  _Oh._ Cindy's clothes, her messy appearance, seeking the woman out-

"No!" As smooth as Crowe liked to think she was, at heart she was a helpess gay, like it or not, and her face flushed dark. "That's- That's not it, we aren't- I got shot." She forced her mouth shut before she could speak anymore, and Takka blinked. She nodded her thanks, face burning, and rushed out of the diner, and right into somebody's chest. "Sorry!" She pulled back, as did the man.

"Apologies-" They glanced at each other again. "Crowe?"

"Ignis!" She grinned upon seeing the bespectacled man, and he sighed with what seemed like relief. His eyes ran over her though, meticulous, and hands flew to her shoulders.

"I heard from Nyx that you'd been injured, are you alright?" Seeing Ignis fret like this rather amused her. The Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive had training sessions together at least once month, and Libertus had forged a friendly(?) rivalry with Gladiolus Amicitia. While they tussled, Nyx would keep track of the fight, or sneak off with the Prince and his friend, and Crowe and Ignis would watch from the sidelines, both the voice of reason for their groups. They'd found magic in common, and Crowe often helped the younger man with crafting and using spells. Not that she didn't get along with Amicitia (though there was a particular incident that had left him sore), or the Marshall's boy, Prompto, but Ignis was the only one she'd properly call a friend, and befriending the Prince? No way- Leave that (and more) to Nyx, she didn't want to cause trouble. Her and Ignis took coffee together when they had free time. As far as she knew, she was the only one who sought out their group outside of training, but she didn't want to know what Nyx, Prompto and Noct got up to after work, they were mushy enough during training, so who knows when they saw each other.

"Still around, aren't I?" She gently pried Ignis' hands off her shoulders, smiling reassuringly. "Glaives don't go down that easy."

"I sure hope not." A deep rumble of a laugh came from behind Ignis, and she turned to face the speaker.

"What? Afraid you'd have to step up and get your hands dirty, Amicitia?"

Gladiolus smirked, arms folded, and leant forwards, down to her. "Who else is gonna steal all the cute girls?" She rolled her eyes, and shoved his face away. "What are you doin' out here, besides getting beat up?"

Gladio and Ignis were safe, she decided. They both had relatives on the Council, who definitely knew of her mission, if not Ignis' uncle, Clarus certainly did.

"I  _was_ on assignment, had to go to Tenebrae, but don't think I can make it in the time I was supposed to, so now I'm just waiting on the wounds to heal and I'll probably head back to Insomnia." Ignis and Gladio shared a look, and Ignis turned back to her.

"It wouldn't be regarding the Princess, would it?" She shifted now, arms crossing. 

"Yeah, actually. Why?"

"Word is she flew into Insomnia with the Niflheim officials for the treaty signing." Crowe frowned, face scrunching up.  _That couldn't be right._ She thought, but perhaps because she'd not made it to Tenebrae in time; Did Drautos know?

She groaned, shoulders sagging. "Fuck knows what I'm supposed to do then."

Luche had stopped her from reaching Tenebrae, with the intent to kill her. That'd let the Niffs have Lunafreya, so he was probably working with them. But there was no way he, or they, could've known she was going there. It had been a classified mission, the Council, Drautos and herself were the only ones who knew the details of the mission. She was almost certain he couldn't have spied on any of them either, the Council meeting rooms were incredibly heavily guarded, and she and Drautos weren't fools. They'd have known.

Something definitely wasn't right in the Glaive, she only hoped her boys would be alright. 

"Oh, right! Heard your car crashed or something?" She asked, deciding to change the subject, not wanting to dampen the mood any further.

"Yeah, something like that. Engine failed on the way here, so we had to push it here most of the way."

"Bet the Prince loved that. First day out and the car's down. What's his game plan?"

"Cindy's taking a look at it while we do some hunts to pay for it." 

"Leide's easy pickings, monster-wise, but I wouldn't take any daemon hunts just yet." The way Ignis and Gladio acted it was almost hard to remember how much younger than her they were, and that they'd not seen half as much carnage. "Giants spawn around here and you wanna get yourself used to a real fight first. Marshall's kid hasn't seen one before and Prince hasn't fought in one."

"We're not kids." Gladio said, in a tone that completely contradicted the statement.

"No, but you're inexperienced. Daemons don't fight like people do- And you're trained to fight people, not daemons." She knocked his shoulder a few times. "Respect your elders."

"Aren't you like thirty? You're not that much older than Gladio." A much younger voice chimed in.

"And what are you, five?" She turned to face the Prince, having finally left the shop, Prompto behind him. "Learn your limits, and learn your enemies."

Gladio huffed, a smile on his face. "And I suppose you're the wise old witch, huh?"

She laughed, and stepped away, grinning. "Go do your hunts, those cars are expensive." Noctis' face fell, eliciting more laughter from Crowe as she headed towards the garage, calling her goodbyes. Speaking to familiar faces had definitely helped her mood, eased at least a few of her anxieties. There were still  _some_ people she knew she could trust, outside the city. 

There was a small radio in the garage, playing a familiar song, it was one Pelna and Nyx both liked, they'd always be playing it whenever she was over. Something about rain? She'd never learnt the words. It broadened the smile on her face all the same.

She called a greeting out over the music, but it went unheard. Walking around the car, she found a discarded hat laying on the floor, and a pair of white boots, and tanned thighs sticking out from under the car. She swallowed a lump in her throat, and pulled her eyes away.

"Hello?" The legs raised up, and Cindy pushed herself out from underneath the car (wasn't that one of the Regalias? How hadn't she noticed it before?), sitting up on the the rolling board. Her eyes lit up upon seeing Crowe, and a smile found it's way onto her face. There was a smudge of oil on her cheek, and Crowe resisted the urge to wipe it off.

"Well now, look who's awake! Good to see ya up and around!" She stood now, extending a gloved hand to Crowe, and the brunette took it. Cindy hauled her up, and they shook afterwards. "Now I don't know how much you remember'a last night-"

"Not as much as I'd like to."

"But my name's Cindy. Cindy Aurum. An' the old man is Cid. We run this here garage." Crowe's head bobbed up and down in a half-hearted nod. Cindy was _gorgeous_. Curly, golden blonde hair, glass green eyes and a button nose?  _Dumnezeu..._  

"I'm Crowe Altius. Kingsglaive." Cindy nodded, smile never leaving her cheeks. "Thanks for last night- Seriously. Don't know if I'd have made it without you and your old man's help. If there's anything I can do to repay you-"

"Don't worry 'bout it, sweetheart. I ain't gonna charge ya for gettin' shot at." God, what an angel. "All I want's to see you recover. Certainly was a sight an' a half, seeing you rock up on that ole bike, bloody and bruised. Nearly gave a girl a heart attack."

"I can't imagine it happens often, yeah."

"More than ya might think, actually, though it's usually a daemon wound, not a gunshot." A dry laugh fell past Crowe's lips. Yeah, didn't she know it. A dry breeze blew through the outpost, and she shuddered against the soft fabric of Cindy's t-shirt. Oh, right!

"Thanks for letting me borrow your stuff. Mine's all...dirty." Cindy winked, and Crowe just about melted there, a grin forming on her face.

"Not a thing. Looks good on ya!" Cindy wiped her hands on her shorts, wiping off some stray oil, and placed a hand on Crowe's shoulder. "I don't suppose you've eaten anything, have ya?" 

"Hah. Nah, I wanted to thank the two of you first. Don't suppose there's a card machine around here? I was gonna crack out my gil at Galdin, but-"

"Sweetheart you ain't going nowhere until you're all healed up." Crowe grimaced. Cindy was right, but Crowe wasn't sure if she still had a job to do, and what would happen if the Princess had been waiting for her, and she never showed up? The mission had been important, what if she'd was supposed to stop the Princess from being taken to Lucis? Then she'd already failed. Drautos probably thought she was dead, though she'd no idea whether Luche was in cahoots with him or not, and she didn't want to disappoint the King. Of course, she also knew it'd be foolish for her to move around too much in this state, let alone fight the Niffs, or daemons she might come across escorting the Princess to Accordo. She probably couldn't steal the Princess away from the Crown City either, if it was public knowledge now. She just had to hope things would work out without her. Not a fun thought. "Come on, you haven't eaten yet right? Let's get you somethin' warm, my treat, then I'll show you the point. Got one in the shop for Insomnian folks, like the Prince."

Cindy's warm hand on her shoulder was so inviting, Crowe couldn't help but nod. And Gods, she was hungry. She'd eaten before she left Insomnia, but that was probably a solid 22 hours ago, maybe more. "Alright, but you've gotta let me pay you back somehow. Don't like being indebted." Cindy's eyes rolled upwards, but the smile didn't drop an inch.

"If it'll soothe your mind, alright. You know anything about cooking, or mechanics?"

"Mechanics is more Libertus' thing..." Crowe trailed off for a moment. "I mean, I know my way around a bike, but probably not the types you get out here. I cook for the guys back in Insomnia though- Galahdian street vendors never get it right, so they all lug themselves into my place and we cook together." We, meant her and Luche. Who, when he wasn't being a traitorous backstabbing, slimy, arrogant son a bitch, was actually a fantastic cook. Nyx had tried to help once. And he did. By paying for a new kitchen after he set hers on fire. That had been a fun night. 

"Then you can give Takka a hand until you're good to go, and we'll call it even, alright?" Cooking wouldn't be too taxing, she thought, and so she smiled.

"Deal." Cindy's hand moved along her back until her arm was slung around the older woman, and she led them out of the garage. 

"Now Takka's a real sweetheart, really."

 

Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> translations :  
> Dumnezeu - God...  
> nu te las acolo atunci când nifii preiau - im not gonna leave you there when the Niffs take over  
> la naiba, crowe. doar...rămâi în siguranță. - hell, crowe. just...stay safe
> 
> ignis + crowe are friends u can tear that hc from my corpse. sorry the banter goes on for a little too long it was just super fun to write
> 
> sorry this took a while ao3 deleted five hours of (actually really good?) work and im not able to recreate it to my own satisfaction so i had a mini breakdown lmao that was fun
> 
> this is over 3,000 words im fucking crying

**Author's Note:**

> măgar - jackass  
> Bine, bine, acum lasă-mă să dorm - okay, okay, now let me sleep  
> fi atent - (in this context) stay safe/be careful/keep aware  
> pa - bye
> 
> i just love altium?????? the ffxv wlw community is v small but i love them all and want to contribute more so here is some Bad Fic  
> petnames bc cindy is gay as fuck  
> hc that crowe and ignis are magic bros
> 
> talk girls 2 me @ https://finalfantasylesbians.tumblr.com/


End file.
